Ally Aldridge Books

15 Top Bookstagramers

There are so many amazing bookstagramers. It was hard to choose only 15, but I wanted my list to reflect the wide variety of accounts.

Each of these accounts bring something different but are united by a shared passion for books and reading. I’m hoping this list will be an inspirational starting point for anyone interested in starting a bookstagram account.

I hope you enjoy this list and I’d love to hear your recommendations too.

RainbowRogueReads by Sophie Critchley

Sophie takes stunning photos of her books like any bookstagrammer but what makes her account stand out is her incredible talent with makeup. Sophie creates makeup looks with a similar style/theme of her read. I think the account was previously called GoBookYourself.

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Lately I've been seeing the 'book covers as outfits' challenge everywhere on bookstagram (an idea that I first saw on @emmmabooks YouTube). And I thought to myself, I really want to give that a try but I just don't have that many things which would work, because I mostly only own black clothing. ? BUUUUUT what I do have is makeup, so I'm giving this a go with a little spin on it. ? My first attempt is book one of The Wolves of Mercy falls, the series that made me fall in love with Maggie Steifvater's writing, because this cover is just so pretty to me. ☺️ . . . #bookcoverchallenge #bookcovers #shiver #booksandmakeup #wolvesofmercyfalls #maggiesteifvater #bookdragon #bookcollector #yabookstagram #bookpic #bookishlove #bookishlife #readingcommunity #igreads #yafiction #readersofinstagram #bibliophile #bookaddict #bookworm #bookpost #bookstagrammersunite #bookstagramfeature #morebookslessalgorithm #bookstagramcommunity #ilovetoread #yafantasy #fantasybooks #paranormalromance #yareads #booknerd

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Spoopyhol by Spoops

If you love books and makeup, check out Spoops, She also includes the ”making of” in her posts which I love – it’s like magic seeing an artist at work.

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I bought this book so long ago and I still haven’t gotten round to reading it yet ? it’s a big ol’ book of short stories about Cthulhu! There’s so many different authors in here I think it’s mega cool!! . How’s everyone’s October going?! I’ve somehow managed to read 8 books so far this month? none of them have been over 500 pages so that’s how I’ve managed it? . . Day 12: RELEASE THE KRAKEN! #spoopween2020 . . . . . #bookstagram#bookstagrammer#booklover#booknerd#bookblogger#bookworm#bookaddict#bookish#bookishfeatures#instabook#igreads#booksofinstagram#reader#reading#bibliophile#bookporn#bookaholic#booknerdigans#bookcollection#lovereading#lovebooks#bookstagramcommunity#booklife#booklove#mybookfeatures#halloweenmakeup#lovecraft#spoopyholmakeup

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Elizabeth Sagan and James Trevino

I’m guessing this pair are a couple as they have a similar style and often appear in each others posts. The things they do with books is just wow!

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Where do you usually search for book recs? ? When it comes to the books I decide to read, I'm doing my best to go through everything that is sent to me, because for the most part, even though I have certain preferences and I'm a mood reader, I can easily pick up anything that falls into my hands and vibe with it. Once in a while there comes a book that I'm super excited for and I want to start as soon as it comes out, like in the case of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Midnight Sun, and now The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (Oct 6), but between those, I like to feel "morally obligated" to read what's sent to me because that motivates me to read more on one hand and I like to support the authors of said books on the other and this way I got to discover some truly amazing gems that now rank among my favourite books ever. So in the next 8 weeks, I am to read (at least) 6 books, and those are: – The Wig, The B*tch and The Meltdown by Jay Manuel – ALONE TOGETHER: Love, Grief, and Comfort Duriny the Time of COVID-19 – David Tung Can't Have A Girlfriend Until He Gets Into An Ivy League College by David Tung – The Cyborg Tinkerer by Meg LaTorre – Ashen Shadows by Ewe Linka – The Cull by Rachel Glickler ? #bookstagram #bookish #angel #shadowhunters #supernatural #bookangel #cassandraclare #redhead #redheadpower #redheads #bookgirl #angels #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #goodreads #epicreads #read #reader #reads #reading #yalovin #bookrecommendations #bookstagramer

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✨INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVEAWAY✨ ? One lucky winner will get hardcover editions these amazing books: ? THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab ? TO SLEEP IN A SEA OF STARS by Christopher Paolini ? HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy (special omnibus edition including Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman ? SERPENTINE (illustrated edition) by Philip Pullman ? ENOLA HOLMES books 1-3 (including The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady and The Case of the Bizzare Bouquets) by Nancy Springer – paperback* ? GOOSEBUMPS (set including Monster Blood, Why I'm Afraid of Bees, A Night in Terror Tower, The Best from the East and Legend of the Lost Legend – all books in a special retro collector's tin) by R.L. Stine – paperback* ? THE BROKEN EARTH trilogy (including The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky) by N.K. Jemisin – paperback* ? TO ENTER: 1️⃣ LIKE this post 2️⃣ FOLLOW @james_trevino, @elizabeth_sagan, @mybookfeatures, @lulumoonowlbooks 3️⃣ TAG 3 friends below (all in one comment) 4️⃣ DOUBLE YOUR ENTRIES by sharing this post on your Story and mentioning us ? The giveaway ends Sunday, October 25, at 12pm EET (the winner, chosen randomly, will be announced in the following days on our Instagram Story – please do not send us DMs asking for the exact time; we will try to move as fast as we can so just regularly check our Stories). ? We will contact the winner only AFTER the winner is announced on our Stories. Anyone contacting you otherwise or from another account other than our official ones is a fake! ? This contest is in no way affiliated with Instagram or any of the authors or publishers. You have to be over 18 years old to enter or have parental permission. Good luck, guys! . . . #bookgram #bookcommunity #bookgiveaway #wizardingworldofharrypotter #humansofbookstagram #bookstagrammer #lovetoread #bookstagram #harrypotter #currentlyreading #hogwarts #youngadult #potterhead #writerslife #livrosemaislivros #libros #lectura #leitura #shadowhunters #sarahjmaas #calmversation

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Enchanted_Bookshelf with Colin the cat

This bookstagram features stunning hardback editions and a rainbow theme. Not only that, but fluffy Colin the cat features in many pics adding that extra enchanting factor.

Magicbookcorner by Laura D Child

If you want to discover new books to read, check out Laura. She is relentless in her pursuit of discovering hidden gems and actively supports new authors in getting discovered. She’s often one of the first to review the books she reads.

A_Bookish_Lass by Michaela Dieter

Michaelea shows how simple your gram can be. Her feed is mostly the book covers and her star rating. Her gram isn’t about arty book pics but helping her followers discover their next steamy romance. Michaela often reads Betas are ARCs enabling her to be up on the latest releases. She was in fact the first reviewer of Ocean Heart.

Booksshack by Noor

This feed is beautiful, it’s got an artistic aesthetic where every picture is unique but has the same colour tones. Then certain pics have been animated to give a hint of magic.

Bookstagram_Dreamer by Chloe

Chloe’s feed is very clever. It’s not instantly obvious, but she somehow finds objects/props to add to her pics to compliment the book. There are a few instances of her painting her hand, which is different.

BookBookOwl by Jen

This feed uses rainbows and flowers to present pretty bookish pics and start conversations about reads. Look out for the little finishing touches that makes this account stand out.

BewareOfTheReader by Sophie

Sophie is a collector when it comes to books, not just the books but the collectables that go with them. I saw a live unboxing of her getting a limited edition and the excitement was very real.

Nic_Reeves_Writes by Nic

This writer loves books and shoes, and this recent pic really sums up both. She’s a regular #footstackfriday contributor.

The_Book_Worms_Bookshelf by Abby

Abby is a book reviewer and writer. What I love about her feed are the pets that feature in her pics. I especially love her hedgehog. I once wanted a hedgehog but then found out they eat worms – yuck.

Mer.Reads by Mer

This booktuber is new to Instagram (appears to be). I really like her pop-culture vibe to her pics with the outline of her hand holding the books.

Fadedstardxst

This account is so new it started on 1st January 2021. But it already has an impressive feed. It has a rustic, country cottage vibe (like the fairy god mother’s cottage in Cinderella is Dead). I hope this bookstagram sticks around as I love the warmth and magic radiating off these pics.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ4Hn3yhHKu/?igshid=29m1i5o8s3iv

Redfae by Ally Aldridge

If you’re on Instagram, please give me a follow too. Like most authors, I also post about the books I am reading as well as those I am writing. Here’s my first bookstagram of 2021.

[kofi]

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It’s Another IG Live

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Ally Aldridge Author Tube, Blogging, Book Tube, Goals, Novel, Publishing, Romance, Tips, Writing, YouTube

It’s another IG LIVE!

I had the most fabulous live chat with author Lyndell Williams (on Instagram as @laylawriteslove).

Meeting Author Lyndell Williams

She recently had some mobile woes and took the plunge to get a new phone. It wasn’t as straight forward as just popping to the shops to get it and she had to wait F O R E V E R for her new handset to come in. She this on Instagram and I offered a few words of support. We got messaging and she asked if I’d help her test out her new mobile with an IG live.

As you know, I am trying to get braver in front of the camera My inner introvert was screaming “Say no!” but to get more experience on camera, I said Yes. And, I am so glad I did. Layla was so lovely to speak to.

Going Live on Instagram with @laylawriteslove

We agreed a date & time for the Instagram Live, and both connected without any issues. Yay!

We mostly discussed writing and reading romance. I discovered her novels are steamy, and her series features around diverse characters. Her readers demanded more stories about her side characters, so she wrote some novellas. You can discover more about her book here.

She also shared tips with me on plotting. And, we covered writing in different point of views and making believable characters. She is a developmental editor and we both discussed how valuable they are. She has five novels and uses a developmental editor too. You can find out more about her services here.

Check Out Our Live

[kofi]

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Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Review

8 Reasons it’s good for YOU to write reviews

People often talk about why writing reviews are so important to authors but what about for you the reader. Here we go:

Your Reading History

If you read a lot, you can forget what you’ve read. You don’t want to waste time reading a book you didn’t enjoy, twice.

But on the flip side, wouldn’t it be awesome to rediscover the books you did love. You don’t want to forget those gems.

Reading Goals

If you enjoy a challenge, set yourself a reading goal. Celebrate your wins doing something you love.

If you discover your not getting time to read, it could help you identify that your life is too hectic and you don’t get to relax. Or maybe your energy is focussed elsewhere, which is fine. You can reduce your goal.

Favourite author

It helps you not forget the name of that author whose voice you loved. Now, you can discover more of their books.

You can follow authors you like on sites like Goodreads, Book Bub and Amazon. This will help keep you notified of new releases.

Better Recommendations

Over time your tastes may change but seeing what you enjoyed helps identify what you love. In turn, this will help you discover more fabulous books.

If you post your review to sites like Good Reads or Amazon, then algorithms will learn what you want and recommend what to buy/read next. This can save you time in finding your next great read.

Others will read your reviews, see what you like and be able to make intelligent recommendations.

Reading Buddies

You may connect with people with similar tastes, get reading buddies, and/or develop a book club. Reading can become a social activity, and thanks to the internet, you can buddy a reader anywhere in the world.

By talking about the books you read, you become someone people trust for recommendations. Imagine being an influencer for the books you love, someone others take notice of? If you’re good at reviews, this could be you.

Self Development – Reading

There’s more to reading than getting from page 1 to the end. When you write a review you reflect on what you read.

What was it about? How did it make you feel? Did you learn from the story?

Reflecting on what you read is a skill you are taught at school to deepen your reading but is often lost when you no longer have a teacher invested in your reading.

Self Development – Writing

When you write a review, you’ll think about what was done well and how you can use those techniques in your own work. Being a reader helps you deliver more of what readers want.

You will also be exposed to new words or phrases, expanding your vocabulary. You will visit places, meet new people, and explore plots that will inspire new ideas.

Free Books For Honest Reviews

Authors look for people that read their genre. If they are giving their book away for free, they want it to be to someone that will appreciate and love their book. If you apply to be a reviewer, your history as a reviewer could be checked.

The reason is, if you love their genre, their book is off to a good start already in your hands. If you have a following that enjoy your reviews on this genre, then you’ll be helping the right eager readers discover it.

When authors can see what you like, it helps them know if their book is right for you. Someone that enjoys gritty serious crime novels is unlikely to enjoy a sweet high school romance.

We’re all beautifully unique. It’s okay if YA Contemporary Fantasy isn’t for you, but I’m hoping those that do will love and review OCEAN HEART.

Have you preordered Ocean Heart?

If you buy a copy of Ocean Heart between 1 Oct and 1 Dec, you can enter my preorder giveaway. Visit my Giveaway Page for more details.

Where can you find my reviews?

Let me know the positives you’ve experienced from writing book reviews, and check out my reviews.

Goodreads
Litsy
BookBub
Amazon Author
Book Review Page

[kofi]

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Books

Ocean Heart

Ally Aldridge Blogging, Books, Competition, Editing, Novel, Poetry, Publishing, Tips, Writing

If you’re an indie, you need to know about this!

When I joined WIW I didn’t think self-publishing was for me. I only joined to connect with other writers.

Hearing their inspiring stories changed my mind. Self-publishing was no longer scary and they happily shared their experiences which I was able to learn from.

And, I achieved my initial goal of making incredible writer friends.

You can learn more by following them on:

Facebook: World Indie Warriors Members

Instagram: @WorldIndieWarriors

WordPress: World Indie Warriors

WIW eZine

This is a project that I manage for World Indie Warriors. I have been learning as I go and think each edition is better than the last!

It contains:

  • ENTERTAIN/LEARN: Articles for readers, writers and other creatives
  • BUY: Listings for indie books, products and services
  • CONNECT: A directory of featured members and how to find them on Social Media

This month there have been three blog posts on the WIW Blog about the upcoming brochure and how to get involved. This have been:

Submissions Open

This blog posts details all the content you need to submit to get featured in the brochure.

You can get featured if you are:

  • An indie author
  • Creator of indie products
  • Provider of an indie service

And you don’t need to be an indie. You can be a supporter of indies. We also feature members that are book bloggers too!

  • A book blogger or reviewer of any product or service in the brochure

New Releases

We have rebranded the brochure as an eZine. Another new feature will be to promote books coming soon.

If you are an indie author publishing in Oct, Nov, or Dec, you can get your new release featured.

All Indie Books

This is for bookstagrammers! Check out the post for full details but all you have to do is take a photo of an indie book or collection of indie books, use the hashtag #AllIndieBooks and we’ll feature our favourite with credit to your instagram account.

If the photo is of a book in the brochure we may also include you on the page it is featured.

What are you waiting for?

If you haven’t checked out WIW yet, go do it now! Check out the brochure and get involved.

The new brochure will launch at the end of September.

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Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Contemporary, Fantasy, Future, High, Paranormal romance, Software, Tips, Urban, Writing, Young Adult

How I did my book foot stack photo

Have you seen my #footstack pic on Instagram? Check out the feed @Nic_Reads_Inheels for my heel stack inspiration.

I only discovered #footstack very recently. It is a pic of someone balancing books on their shoes. When the #CampNanoWIW prompt was a #shelfie pic, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to give it a go.

I had so much fun doing this. And, when I posted it people asked, are they your legs, your books, your pic, how?

The answer is Yes and this is how.

The original pic

I wasn’t going to share this pic but here you go.

Unedited #FootStack

The books I bought from Amazon, Book Festivals or won on Instagram. They are all from my never ending TBR pile.

Since having children, I don’t have many heels. I also tidied away the ones I did have and have no idea where I put them. These shoes are my work ones from Clarks.

The red stockings were bought years ago from Ann Summers, back when I felt more daring, and haven’t been seen outside the bedroom. ;)

I did need help to get this pic. My husband stacked the books whilst I giggled upside down and tried to hold steady. My selection was rather ambitious and I realised this was my limit… no more books.

He then took the pic for me. He actually took quite a few as we tested my balancing skills at different degrees of steepness. We found it looks better the straighter my leg are. Posing like this was a full on workout.

How I edited the pic

Pic Monkey App

I used the Pic Monkey App to remove the background using their Cut Out, Smart, tool. It was super easy.

Unsplash

Unsplash is my favourite site to get free photos. I found this photo of a pretty yellow wall by Mona Eendra from Copenhagen. Yellow is one of my brand colours so this was perfect.

Pretty yellow wall from Unsplash

Photoshop Mix App

This app enables you to layer images together. I created a project and added the wall as my first layer, then my cut out image as the second layer. I then cropped it to a square and adjusted the two layers until I was happy with the positioning.

I had never used this app before and it was very straight forward. I figured it out without watching the tutorials. But, I’m going to return to watch them later to discover more.

Instagram App

The final edit was done using IG’s filter Clarendon. Then, I added my comment and tags and posted it.

If you give this a go, please tag me. I’m @Redfae on Instagram. I’d love to see your book stacks too.

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Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Future, Review

Book Review: Trust Me by Maddie James

The novel is set in the future. Cyan and her mother are hunted because they are the last Caucasian women. They are wanted for science, trafficking, etc. Cyan’s mother was lost, presumed dead, when she was younger during an attack in their home. Cyan has spent most of her life on the run with her dad until he was murdered. Cyan is then on the run getting help from an unlikely companion, her father’s murderer.

Beginning

The book starts off by showing us this futuristic world. As Cyan’s needs to live off the grid to keep her safe, they actually live a very simple life. Cyan grows up in an extremely sheltered life where her mum is her main companion.

The start of the book is a little disorientating as we jump back and forth in time and between the viewpoints. You best get used to this style of story telling as it is used throughout the book.

Middle

I’m not keen on books where the characters are travelling. As Cyan is never safe, she’s always on the move.

Cyan lost her mother when she was young during an attack in the family home. She then spent a number of years raised solely by her dad. Her dad is getting old and struggling to keep her safe so he gets Devin (someone who has hunted them for years to get the bounty) to kill him and take on the role of protecting Cyan. The promise Devin makes to Cyan’s dad forces them together.

It was uncomfortable to read at times. There wasn’t only one rape scene but several, told by different characters and at different times.

At first Cyan doesn’t like Devin, he killed her dad. Devin keeps their relationship strictly business as he worries that if he gets emotionally involved it will cloud his judgement. Cyan learns to depend on Devin for protection and Devin learns to trust Cyan and her premonitions. The romance between them grows and I enjoyed the steamy scene in the barn.

I also liked Cyan’s powers and would have liked to have seen more of this but then she would have been less vulnerable. She gets a vibration feeling when danger is coming and premonitions that cone true. She also has a very destructive power which she used to attack hunters when they hunted her family. All the time in hiding, they never thought to encourage her to practice her powers to use them to keep them safe. So sadly, Cyan can’t use them.

The End

There was a decent end to the book. There were two plot twists and Cyan finally used her powers to save them.

The ending is left open for possibly another book.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this book was not for me. I was provided this book by Net Galley for an honest review.

I wasn’t keen on the constant danger or the idea that being the last woman with blue eyes meant men wanted to rape you. I found it hard to understand and it felt racist at times because men of colour were unable to control their urge and behaved like savage animals. If these are trigger points for you, give this book a miss.

Another gripe was her father’s plan for her survival.  I found it a bit odd – why die. I couldn’t understand why Devin was risking his life for a promise to a dead man he had never really known. I didn’t believe Cyan would willingly go with Devin after seeing him murder her dad, especially as she didn’t know why and only had Devin’s word that it was what her dad wanted.

However, there are also many good points. The book is very well written with lots of showing and the world was brought to life in a natural way that sucked you in. I loved Cyan’s powers and wanted more. I loved the secret behind her necklace and it was a great reveal at the end. The slow burning romance kept me turning the page and I was thrilled when the pair finally got it on.

The author has written plenty of other books and maybe another title would be more my thing but I don’t think I will be in a hurry to read another one unless it comes highly recommended by someone who knows my reading tastes.

Have you read a book by Maddie James? Do you like novels set in the future or characters with powers?

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@Redfae

Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Review, Romance, Young Adult

Book Review: The Practice Boyfriend by Christina Benjamin

I can’t remember when I downloaded this book. It was just there on my Kindle, unread.  It was like finding a hidden treasure. It became the perfect companion to read during the late night feeds with Aria.

The Beginning

The novel quickly sets up the scene of the three main crowds.  It is told told from two points of view, Hannah’s and Cody’s.

Hannah attends a private school.  She is only able to go due to a scholarship she achieved thanks to her high grades.  She works hard to keep her place and never breaks the rules.

Then there is the ‘it’ crowd made up of the rich kids of the most influential families.  Cody was once part of this crowd but following the scandal where his pregnant high school sweet heart died in a drink driving accident, he is now an out cast.

Hannah realises she is going to finish school without ever doing anything wild or having a boyfriend. She sets her sights on Harrison, the high school king and famous for his exclusive parties.  To get invited you need to be given a key. 

The Middle

Considering that Cody knows the ‘it’ crowd but is no longer part of it, she singles him out to ask for his help.  Cody tries to talk her out of her plan.  He warns her the clique are not nice people but when Hannah resolves to blackmail him, he decides she might fit right in.

Hannah thinks Cody is a safe perfect practice boyfriend because there is no way she would fall for him.  Cody teaches her the rules of the elite and helps her practice her kissing.  Cody is rich and even pays for her to have a full makeover and wardrobe upgrade.

Cody pretends to be her boyfriend.  To keep up the pretence they have to spend a lot of time together.  They have their first kiss and more.  Cody continues to help Hannah to get noticed by the ‘it’ crowd and it works.

Now Hannah is being invited to hang out with the girls eager to gossip about Cody.  They want her to see the monster he is as they blame him for the death of their friend.  Being in the spotlight attracts the attention of Harrison and it looks like Hannah is going to get her wish.

The End

Hannah discovers that money, popularity and wealth isn’t as glamorous as she anticipated.  She discovers some ugly truths but is it too late to make things right?

Final Thoughts

I absolutely loved this book.  I wanted Aria to wake up in the night for her milk so I could read some more.  It was fast paced.  I loved the world building.  The twisted ‘it’ crowd reminded me of Cruel Intentions.  I love the misunderstandings and conflict between the two and the relationship was believable. 

Both characters were well developed and I really liked both of them – which is a tricky thing to do in dual points.   I would definitely be interested in reading more by Christina Benjamin,   

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@Redfae

Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Contemporary, Fantasy, Future, High, LGBT, Review, Romance, Second Chance, Urban, Young Adult

Book Reviews of 2019

Do you write Book Reviews? If so, good for you. Reviews not only help readers make more informed choices on their next read but it also support authors.

I don’t get much time to read. I’m constantly surrounded by distractions. But, I wanted that to change. So last year, I set my target low at 6 books.

There were times I feared 6 books was ambitious and it highlighted how little time I get. As I actively tried to combat it, I found more time to read. By the end of 2019 I had exceeded my goal.

Here is the collection of 2019 reviews.

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

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Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

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Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

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Duet Rubato by Claerie Kavanaugh

copy of copy of copy of happily ever author

Envy by J D Groom

copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of happily ever author

You Stole My Heart… Do I have to take your name? By Sarah Neofield

copy of copy of copy of copy of happily ever author

Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst

copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of happily ever author

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

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That’s not all. There are books I finished and have yet to write my review. But, I will post them. Look out for my upcoming reviews of the following:

Crown of Conspiracy by Kara S Weaver

Good Reads:  Trust me by Maddie James

I think I will look at making a book review page on my website to make finding these easier for readers.  

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@Redfae

 

Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Fantasy, High, Library, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

I took my son to the library to exchange his books (or renewal and get more books).  Whilst he was struggling with the dilemma of  choosing his new books and returning books he loves, my husband pointed this book out to me.  I have always wanted to write a novel about faeries so this was to be a fun read and research into how someone else has done it.

The MC is a boy called Ethan Chase.  I don’t read many books with a male protagonist so this was a refreshing change and it was done well.   Skip to my final thoughts it you don’t want any spoilers.

Beginning

 Ethan is aware fae exist and has a troubled past with them.   In the opening chapters he shares how they are dangerous and the result of their interference in his life has lead to him being expelled from schools and blamed for a fire he didn’t cause. 

Ethan is starting another new school. On his first day, he stands up for a boy being bullied, Todd. Nobody else can see that Todd has long furry ears but it is because he is a half-fae.  Ethan doesn’t want to be friends with Todd as he distances himself from all fae.  He also doesn’t like Todd’s wee fairy companion.

Ethan also attracts the attention of Mackenzie, who wants to interview him for the school paper.  He tries to push Mackenzie away as anybody that gets close to him always gets hurt but she is persistent.  

Middle

A  deadly new type of fairy are consuming fae and half-fae.  Todd asks for Ethan’s help.  At first Ethan doesn’t want to get involved but he takes pity and agrees.  Unfortunately, Todd is taken and now the creatures are coming after Ethan.  Ethan is at a martial arts tournament where Mackenzie is trying to get his story but during the tournament the deadly fae come for him.  Nobody else can see them.  Ethan runs.  Mackenzie follows.  

Ethan needs to keep Mackenzie safe. He makes a choice to use a special object his sister gave him to transport into the fae world.  They are greeted by a cat, Grimalkin, who knows the way to the Iron Kingdom where his sister, Meghan, is queen.   The journey is dangerous but when they arrive his sister wants to keep him safe.  They are sent to a room to ‘rest’ but feels more like prison.  When Ethan and Mackenzie get the opportunity to escape with the help of Keirran. 

On their mission to rescue Todd, there are a lot of truths uncovered which I won’t go into.  Their are fights.  There were some very interesting characters along the way.  I liked Kierran’s love interest and the exiled queen and the cheeky little gremlin.  

They travel to the earth and are attacked again. They manage to escape to the in-between and learn how serious the problem is.  They visit Hyde Park to follow a lead but things get worse for the gang when the nephew is taken prisoner.

Something I really enjoyed was the slow burning romance between the Ethan and Mackenzie. There is plenty of conflict between them and good reasons why they hold back. I couldn’t wait for them to get together.  

The Ending

The build up to a battle where Ethan has to save his friends (and nephew) was worth it.  There were also some reveals that I hadn’t seen coming and I liked that the supporting characters were well developed too. 

Finally Thoughts…

There were a few times Ethan annoyed me.  He blames himself for Todd being kidnapped but I didn’t really see why it was his fault, after all, Todd was a fairy and hung around with the fae.  Ethan made it clear that doing that meant trouble was inevitable.  I got that he felt responsible for what happened to Mackenzie but she wouldn’t leave him alone.  She did bring it on herself too.  

What I loved was how all the characters were well developed.  You could easily tell who was speaking and they all had rich backstories.  There were plenty of magical creatures and I loved the world building especially the ‘in-between’ world.  

I hadn’t realised the book was part of a series (it’s book 5 in the Iron Fey series).  I was really pleased when I discovered that as I wanted to read more.  I wonder if some of the things that didn’t click with me is because I need to read the other books.  For example, I want to know more about Meghan and why she is the Iron Queen and why Ethan holds so much resentment for the Iron Fey.  

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Ally Aldridge Book Genre, Fantasy, High, Review

Book Review: Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst

I picked this book up at YALC and had no idea what I was getting myself in for. I was attracted by the cover, the blurb and the offer of a free tote bag.

This book is set in a fantasy world where people live on Island and are plagued by dangerous spirits.

There are people with the ability to control the spirits but they hide their power. If you are found out you are given a choice – join the queens guards and lose your identity or go to a deadly island where if you manage to survive you become an heir to the throne.

Beginning

The story starts with the MC getting married but her wedding goes horribly wrong when the celebrations are over run by spirits killing her guests. It’s so bad that the MC can’t run and hide, she stands up to the spirits and fights, revealing her hidden power.

She knows the guards will come and take her but her fiancé convinces her to runaway with him. He doesn’t want her taken like her sister a few years before. If they get caught, he persuades her to choose to be a guard as he can’t bear to think of her being hunted and killed on the island.

Middle

The lovers are tracked and caught and the MC is forced to make her choice. In that moment, hating the guards for attacking her injured fiancé, she chooses the Island. She can’t stand the thought of being one of them.

After a brief training session, where she makes two friends, they are taken to the Island for the test. The last cohort all died casting fear and doubt in the women’s minds. As the first women reach the shore, the spirits instantly start killing them off.

The MC manages to escape and hide by swimming underwater (a special skill she has). Whilst surviving, she runs into one of her friends and they team up against the spirits. This isn’t encouraged as it will make them a greater target to the spirits.

Together they uncover a secret about the island that sheds light on why everyone died during the previous test. They decide they must escape the island to inform the Queen.

The Ending

I’ll try not to spoil it. All I’ll say is there were plot twists I didn’t see coming. I was really impressed with the ending and all the lose ends were tied up brilliantly.

Finally Thoughts…

I loved this book so much that it is my favourite book for 2019! It has set the bar high.

I had no idea it is part of a series as it is a complete story but now I know, I want to read the other titles.

The book is described as a Fantasy version of Hunger Games and that’s a pretty good summary.

I highly recommend this book. If you’ve not read it yet, you really are missing out. Go order it now!

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@Redfae